Apple growers in British Columbia are still picking their crops. However, early indications suggest that yields will be down about 15% this year. According to Glen Lucas, general manager of the BC Fruit Growers’ Association, the estimates are down for B.C This is mainly due to the weather, but there’s also a slight decrease in apple acreage. He noted that the damage varies significantly from orchard to orchard and between fruit varieties: “Areas would be hit but in different ways. It’s not like we can say, oh, you know, it was all one area and this variety. Every area had a different story.”
He spoke with one grower in Vernon whose Ambrosia crop was hit so hard he only got about 2% of normal, while another small orchard in Kelowna told Castanet their Gala crop is quite strong this year. The popular Ambrosia apple makes up about a third of the apples grown in BC, accounting for a farm gate value of over $12.5 million according to Agriculture and Agrifoods Canada.
Source: castanet.net